She could make out the silhouette of someone running towards her. ‘Bhavesh?’ she croaked.

‘Oh, no! Oh, no. Prithviii!’ Ujal sat by his sister.

Prithvi couldn’t hear him. Or even see him clearly. She fought the tears in her eyes. ‘We’re finally together, Bhavesh,’ she said. ‘You found me.’

Ujal was furious. He thought Bhavesh had left his sister alone when he had asked him to do so. So all this while, she wanted to return to the plains not to get Amma and Baba, but to go to that boy?! So bitter was the hate within him that he barely mourned for his sister. ‘It’s me!’ he said again loudly. ‘Ujal!’

Prithvi heard him this time. ‘Can you do me a favour, sweet brother?’ she said. ‘Bhavesh is not going to stop. He’ll waste his entire life searching for me in the cities in the plains. Find him and tell him that I died here on this day, young and very much in love, and with only thoughts of him. Will you do that, brother?’ Tears rolled down her cheeks as she felt the scent of the Bhil land, the twang of her bowstring, her hidden love, the spring of her young life—for the last time.

Then her eyes went wide, and her dreams and memories left her body forever.

Ujal went numb. ‘I’ll . . . I didn’t . . . mean to . . .’ He hadn’t even mustered up the courage to agree to his dying sister’s request. His heart rate increased. Balling up his fists, he stood up and ran towards the battle, where he hoped to find Chayan.

Bow drawn, wiping his tears against his shoulders, Ujal reached the trench. Fire and blood were all around. The battered and bruised Souls were cornered and surrounded by the kirtimukhas. But all of the monsters had their weapons down. In fact, it seemed like a discussion was going on.

Ujal walked around and snuck up between the Souls from behind.

‘Where’s Chayan? And Idhika, Dhara?’ Ujal whispered, noticing that some individuals were missing.

‘Dhara is no longer with us,’ Savitri said. ‘In fact, we should all be dead. The kirtimukhas and Chayan had us.’

‘What happened? Where’s Idhika?’ Ujal asked, searching for her frantically.

‘Chayan asked Idhika to speak to him and told the kirtimukhas to stop their attacks.’

‘What?!’ As much as Ujal was relieved to hear Idhika was alive, he couldn’t believe she was indulging Chayan with a conversation. But apparently, before retiring to the side to discuss with Idhika, Chayan had delivered a speech that revealed to all the Souls the history of the lands—Sanaka’s mass killing of the kirtimukhas to control Madhu and the Himalayan bee.

Idhika did not need much convincing that such were Sanaka’s motives. Upon learning of the past atrocities at the hands of Sanaka, the Eka had agreed to engage in a dialogue with Chayan, and the two had left to talk.

He suddenly saw Chayan and Idhika step into the light from the fires.